


School of the Wolf

by supernovainparadise



Series: The Witcher and The Bard [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Established Relationship, Fluff, Half-Elf Jaskier, If I use it enough, Lambert Lambert what a prick..., M/M, Mage Jaskier | Dandelion, maybe it will become an actual tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:34:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22257250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovainparadise/pseuds/supernovainparadise
Summary: Geralt has run off on a contract somewhere in Cintra, leaving Jaskier all by his lonesome. While gathering herbs for some new potions, he happens to run into a pair of witchers that seem to have landed themselves into quite a bit of trouble, and Jaskier finally gets to play the hero.And perhaps hear a few new stories.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: The Witcher and The Bard [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596664
Comments: 16
Kudos: 816





	School of the Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted an excuse to write about Eskel, okay? A little bit outside the realm of canon possibility in both the game and show, but let me have this much.
> 
> Also, bonus points if you can guess what Jaskier's song is.

" _Men ran and they cowered, they fought and they died. They burned and they bled as they issued their cries..._ " Jaskier sang quietly as he knelt in the bushes to search the leaves for nightshade berries; Geralt had wanted them for a unique poison but had left before he could get the ingredients. But Jaskier was more than happy to collect them instead; he liked the task, and it wasn't far from the cottage Jaskier had bought as a sort-of home base. A place to come back to between contracts and healing work.

" _We need saviors to free us from Ald-_ " before he could finish the next line, a terrible cry split through the air, sending shivers down Jaskier's spine. He recognized the cry all too well; had been front and center to the creature who made it.

A leshen, a terrifying beast that was made of rotting greenery and magic. If he'd have known there was one nearby, he'd have destroyed the totem and helped Geralt kill it months ago. But, it was only him right now, and though he was a powerful mage, having a witcher on his side would be far more effective than a handful of fire and a silver dagger. But he didn't have much of a choice; he needed the leshen gone as soon as possible, and that meant he couldn't wait for Geralt.

With a sigh, he pulled the hood of his cloak back on and slipped between the trees. After a while of searching, he found the totem... but it was already destroyed. He frowned, but then the leshen cried out again and he turned, following the sound to a large clearing, where two men had the creature cornered, crows flying in circles around them. Jaskier crouched in the bushes; it seemed he didn't need to worry about getting rid of it after all.

Just as soon as he'd finished the thought, one of the two men was suddenly thrown backward, crashing into a nearby tree with claw marks across his chest, and didn't get back up. The other man turned and cursed, and Jaskier knew that if he didn't step in, things were going to go to shit, _fast_. So he stepped out of the bushes, dagger in one hand and a ball of fire in the other and whistled, causing the leshen to whip it's head around, staring at him. Fear closed his throat, but he swallowed it down and threw the fireball, hitting several of the crows and reducing them to ashes.

The man still standing turned and gave him an inquisitive look; he had long scars running down his face, and familiar cat-like eyes. Another witcher then, Jaskier thought, giving him a slight smirk before they both turned their attention to the leshen.

Between the two of them, witcher and sorcerer, the beast fell easily, landing with a triumphant _thump_ on the forest floor. The witcher walked over and cut off one of its fingers, tucked it in his bag, and then ran over to the witcher that the leshen had beaten back, Jaskier on his heels. He bent down and examined the wounds, then sighed with relief.

"Thank god. The wounds aren't deep; it looks like he just hit his head. He'll be back on his feet in no time." the witcher said, brushing back a lock of dark hair, before turning to the mage. "Thank you for the assist; helped a great deal."

Jaskier smiled and dipped his head towards the witcher. "Of course; leshen threatened me and my home as well." The bard turned and appraised the fallen witcher, then said, "why don't you bring him to my place? I'm quite skilled with healing magic and I'd be happy to help him get on his feet sooner."

As they scooped the fallen witcher off the ground, the dark-haired man turned to him and gave him a slight smile. "My name's Eskel, and this moron between us is Lambert."

Jaskier smiled back at him. "Julian. Nice to make your acquaintance."

The pair half carried, half dragged Lambert back to Jaskier's cottage, and once inside, Jaskier laid him on a cot in front of the fire, before peeling off his armor and undershirt to examine the wounds.

"He gonna live, doc?" Eskel asked sarcastically from where he leaned against a wall.

Jaskier smirked and grabbed a tincture off his shelf. "I don't know... might be a goner." Jaskier poured some of the liquid onto a clean cloth, and carefully cleaned up the wounds on Lambert's chest, then rested his hands over the top of them and began a short chant in Elder, and within seconds the wounds were healed. After a moment of appraising, Jaskier nodded and stepped back with a grin. "Good as new, without so much as a scar to show for it."

Eskel sighed in relief. "Thank you. Normally I'd ask if you could wake him, but I have to admit that I'm enjoying the lack of complaints."

Jaskier chuckled and cleaned his hands off, before fetching a few bottles of beer. He handed one to Eskel and then opened the other for himself as they settled at the table. "Thank you for getting rid of the leshen; don't think I could've done it alone."

Eskel shrugged and took a long drought from the bottle. "Don't worry about it; I'm a witcher, it's what I do."

"Nonetheless, I'm grateful. I have some coin if you-"

Eskel waved a hand, grinning at the man. "Consider everything paid and done, Julian. You helped kill it and then healed Lambert. There are no debts owed in my eyes."

Jaskier leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Well, at the very least, I'd suggest checking for a notice in the nearby town. Might be someone was more intuitive than me." 

"Might as well," Eskel mumbled, his eyes drifting around the room and landing on Jaskier's lute in the corner. "Do you still play?" he asked, gesturing towards it with his bottle.

Jaskier glanced behind him at the lute and smiled fondly. "I do; I've been told I'm quite talented as a matter of fact."

"Talented at what...?" Lambert muttered as he sat upon the cot, frowning around the room. "This where the leshen lives...?"

Eskel snorted as Lambert got to his feet, shaking his head. "How hard did you hit your head? No, the leshen doesn't live in the healer's cozy cottage."

Jaskier fetched another bottle of beer and one of Geralt's clean shirts, handing him both. "Glad to see you weren't out long though."

Lambert grunted and tugged on the offered shirt and opened the beer, sitting next to Eskel. "Thanks to you, I suppose?"

Jaskier nodded and took another drink from his beer. "Don't mention it; you'd have lived either way, but I've prevented you from adding more scars to your collection."

Lambert took a long draught from his beer. "So what exactly are you talented at?"

Jaskier grinned and stood, fetching his lute before standing before the witchers. Eskel's scarred face broke into a grin, and even Lambert chanced a smile. "Alright then, now you _have_ to play us something," Lambert said, gesturing with the beer in his hand and miraculously not spilling it. "Can you sing too?"

"I can. What would you like me to play?" Jaskier asked as he tugged the strap over his shoulders.

Eskel grinned and leaned onto the table. "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher; the original one, not the generalized one they play in taverns nowadays, if you know it."

Jaskier merely grinned and strummed the first chord on his lute, before starting the song, his voice drifting through the warm air of the cottage as the witchers sat back and listened. The notes drifted over them, and the witchers leaned across the table, listening deeply as Jaskier recounted his first adventure with Geralt, talking of the "silver-tongued devil" Torque, and the elves that had captured them. His dulcet tones drifted around them, as he sang about the edge of the world, of the great deeds, ending his song with a long, drawn-out note.

The witchers applauded, and another voice cut in once they finished applauding; "I'm surprised you still remember that song."

Jaskier looked up and Eskel and Lambert turned in the chairs, breaking into toothy grins when they saw Geralt by the door. Jaskier smiled and set his lute back where it belonged. "How could I ever forget it? It was the first song I wrote that wasn't specifically for court that was actually _successful_."

Geralt chuckled softly, hanging his cloak on the rack next to Jaskier's. "I don't know, I quite liked the one you were singing in Posada. How'd it go again? 'Need old nan hag to stir up a potion so your lady might get an abortion'?"

Jaskier scowled. "I believe the crowd told me I could 'abort myself' after that line. Threw bread at me."

Lambert snorted. "They threw bread at you?"

Jaskier shrugged. "I didn't mind too much at the time; I wasn't exactly making a lot of coin, and food was hard to come by."

"So were good lyrics." Geralt murmured, grabbing a beer for himself, and sitting across from his old friends, next to the bard, who hummed into his drink. "What have you two been up to?"

"Stealing your contracts," Eskel joked, taking a long drink from his beer. "And your paramour's attention."

"Ha. Jaskier thrives off attention; you're only making my job a little easier." Geralt responded, wrapping his arm around Jaskier's waist.

The conversation went until the sun came up this morning, and Eskel and Lambert said their goodbyes to Geralt and Jaskier, who once again refused payment for the leshen and headed on their way. Once they were gone, Jaskier stood, tapping his foot, before saying, "I think it's high time you and I set off on another adventure. I could use some more song material... and we could both use some more coin."

Geralt smiled and leaned in, kissing Jaskier's temple. "I'd agree. Let's saddle up the horses, and get going; no time to sit around."

"Onward to the other side of the world then?"

"Onward it is."


End file.
